SEATTLE (AP) — Looking out at Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains from his new football offices, Jedd Fisch saw a place that can consistently contend for championships.
“I chose this university because you believe that every year is a championship year,” Fisch said Tuesday as he was formally introduced as Washington’s coach. “Winning in football is a priority in Seattle. And as I look out and see what’s in the future, I see the potential.”
The 47-year-old Fisch left Arizona to take the Washington job on Sunday, just two days after Kalen DeBoer left the Huskies to replace Nick Saban at Alabama. Washington is coming off a trip to the national championship game under DeBoer, who went 25-3 over two success-filled seasons in Seattle.
As the Huskies transition to the Big Ten and college football expands to a 12-team playoff, Fisch envisions a Washington program that’s perennially in the national mix.
“The Big Ten and the SEC right now are who’s leading the football pathways,” Fisch said. “If you look at what teams traditionally compete, it’s about the same 12 or 14 teams. Washington is one of those 12 or 14 teams. That’s why we coach, to be able to take a seat at that table and give yourself a chance every single year with resources beyond belief.”